Maternal Musings
by Jediempress
Summary: Mother is the name for God on the lips and hearts of all children." A new mother and a lost son discuss just how different mothers can be. Complete.


I've been sitting on this incomplete little piece for awhile. I decided to finish it up and post it for mama's day. Hopefully, it isn't too bad.

Dedicated to any mothers or future mothers out there.

Reminder, I don't own anything but the ideas.

Maternal Musings

"That's a good girl," Tifa soothed, patting lightly on Ilea's back as she held the tiny girl to her shoulder. Riku held on to Ayden, watching the new mother finish burping her daughter and then reposition her in her arms. She glanced over at the two males with a faint smile. "How's he doing?"

"Sleeping;" The silvered teen looked down. He felt surprisingly at piece with the infant nestled against his chest. There was something completely soothing about it.

He knew Tifa was watching him closely with that faint smile. When he turned his face back to her, there was a sparkle in umber eyes. "You seem so natural with him."

Riku shrugged and spoke quietly. "It feels right."

There was something understanding in her expression. She only nodded and gently rocked Ilea. "It makes you think, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, about a lot of things," agreed Riku. He worried his lip, aqua eyes casting down. "I can't help but wonder if my mother ever was this caring toward me. I know she thought of me as nothing more than a project but… Did she at any point hold me in her arms and think 'I created this' with anything more than a scientific view?"

Tifa gave him a heart-felt smile. "I can't see any mother not feeling that way about her child at some point. She may have suppressed, and maybe even managed to sever that bond at some point, but I have to believe that she felt something, at least in the beginning"

She glanced at the child in her arms. "There's no way you can carry something so fragile and precious within you and not feel any kind of attachment."

"I'd like to think so. I just wish…" Riku murmured. The words came out a bit brokenly. "Sephiroth is lucky. He at least has Vincent to tell him about Lucrecia. He now knows that his mother, his real mother, thought of him as a son not just some…creation."

Tifa sighed lightly. "I wish I had the answers for you, Riku. My mother died when I was little but I know she loved me. Yuffie's mom was always gone but she made it a point to spend as much time with Yuffie as she could and Aerith's mother…."

"Yeah," Riku shook his head in disbelief. "It takes one hell of a person to take in a child, only knowing that the government is after them."

"I'm still in awe of that woman." Tifa chuckled, careful not to disturb the infant starting to drift off in her arms. "Then again, look at Aerith. She's got the den mom thing down pat. She takes care of everyone."

"Sora's mom is a lot like that." A fond little smile tugged at Riku's lips. "She was always taking care of the neighborhood kids. If anyone got hurt, we went to her first…And she always had treats for us. Everyone went to Seiya if they had a problem with their own parents or just had needed to talk about something. She was actually the only person I came out to.

"It's because of her that I'm as sane as I am. She knew how my mother treated me and while she always insisted that Sumire did love me, she went out of her way to make sure I knew someone loved me. She treated me as if I was her own son."

Frowning thoughtfully for a moment, Tifa angled her head. "Can I ask you something?"

Riku nodded.

"Sephiroth…" she began slowly. "Did he really grow up in a lab?"

"Yeah," Riku whispered, looking down at Ayden. "He knew nothing of parents other than they existed. When he was old enough to ask, all Hojo told him was that his mother's name was Jenova and she died. He told him his father was irrelevant."

"So that's why he became so fixated on her when he found her." The dark-haired woman bit her lip. "All he had growing up was a name and then to suddenly have her there…. It didn't matter in what shape or form, he had his mother."

"Exactly;" Riku smirked sadly. "I honestly don't know which of us had it worse. He was abused and used; I was neglected and treated with distain."

The pair fell silent for several minutes. Tifa gently rocked Ilea, expression one of careful consideration. Riku shifted in response to Ayden's stirring.

Mahogany eyes glanced up and a corner of her lip curled up. "You know, they say one of the best ways to heal the wounds created by our parents is to have children of our own."

The silvered teen rolled his eyes. "How did I know we would somehow end up on this subject?"

"Because both you and Cloud get extremely uncomfortable when any of us bring up children and you both just… light up with the twins." Tifa stated easily. "I know for a fact that Cloud's been seriously thinking about kids and it's pretty obvious that you are too."

Riku sighed. "Okay, yeah, I've been thinking about it but," he shook his head, "Now isn't the time. I'm only nineteen and I just barely have myself together. Until I know things will remain stable…"

The new mother nodded in understanding. "Well, I can tell you this with absolute sincerity; both you and Cloud, when the time comes, will be incredible parents. Both Rude and I have no doubts that we made the right choice making the two of you our children's godfathers."

The smile Riku gave her could have lit up a city. "Thank you."

"Not necessary but your welcome."

Taking a deep breath, he carefully stood. "I need to get going. I told Reno I'd help him with some networking issue."

He brought Ayden over his crib and cautiously settled the little one into it. Lightly tracing the boy's chubby cheek, he removed his hands and turned. He gave Tifa a weak smile and said goodbye.

Before he could leave, Tifa called his name. He glanced back as she got up, set Ilea in the crib with Ayden, and met him at the door. They left the room together and in the hallway, she rubbed her arm.

"Next time you see your brother, tell him he doesn't have to keep avoiding me and the twins." Tifa worried her lip. "I know he's been watching us and…I don't know, maybe it would be good for him to see how normal mothers treat their children."

Riku waited a moment and then hugged her tightly. "I think he'd love that."

"Good." She brushed at his bangs after he released her. "You need to get more sleep, Riku. ...And both you and Cloud need to eat more. You guys are getting too thin again."

"Yes, Mom…"

Tifa cuffed his shoulder. "At least Rude doesn't have to worry about Reno anymore. Demyx takes damn good care of him."

"You would think with all the maternal figures around here, we'd all be in better shape."

"Oh, it's getting there." Tifa grinned. Riku snorted lightly and headed downstairs. She watched after him a moment and chuckled, returning to her babies' bedroom.

She gazed down at the sleeping infants with that never-ceasing amazement she had felt since they were born. She knew she had changed a great deal with becoming a mother. What was interesting to her was how much those around her had changed also.


End file.
